Ducks cap sweep with 6-0 win

EUGENE, Ore. - Freshman Cole Irvin pitched a complete game shutout to lead No. 12 Oregon to a 6-0 win over Washington on Saturday night at PK Park.

Irvin tossed the first complete game of the season by the Ducks allowing just four hits, while striking out a season-high 11 and walking just one. He only allowed two runners past first base, none after the fifth inning.

The Ducks' offense finished with nine hits, all in the first four innings to back Irvin. Ryon Healy went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Conner Hofmann was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Brett Thomas, who returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series, scored two runs.

Oregon (22-6, 8-1 Pac-12) got on the board with two runs in the first inning. Healy picked up a RBI with a single scoring Thomas who reached on an error by Huskies first baseman Trevor Matsui to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

Steven Packard made it 2-0 with a squeeze bunt scoring Healy from third. Oregon's two runs in the first marked just the fourth time this season the Ducks have scored in the first, but the second in the series against UW (6-19, 2-7 Pac-12).

Oregon added four runs in the bottom of the fourth, all but wrapping up a series sweep for Oregon. Hofmann doubled to left field to drive in Josh Graham and Aaron Payne to give the Ducks a 4-0 lead. Graham led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a bunt single by Payne.

After a sacrifice bunt by J.J. Altobelli moved Hofmann to third and a walk to Thomas, Oregon tacked on a run when Tyler Baumgartner grounded out to second baseman Robert Pehl. The play probably should have ended the inning, but Pehl bobbled the ball and had to settle for an out at first instead of turning a double play.

Healy made the Huskies pay even more for the missed opportunity adding a RBI single to give the Ducks a 6-0 lead after four innings.

Irvin was tough on the Huskies from the outset striking out two in the first inning. He added another strikeout in the second and then fanned the first two batters in the third before giving up a walk and his first hit. He got out of the inning with a ground ball to Healy at first.

The freshman lefty struck out two more in the fourth, before getting a strike out to end the sixth, another K in the seventh and two more punch outs in the ninth before getting Matsui to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

Oregon returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Pac-12 Conference series at Arizona State. The Ducks will enter the series at ASU in first place.